Hail to Chadema!

The ruling CCM was on Monday declared winner of the by-election in Busanda Parliamentary Constituency. It got 29,242 while its main rival Chadema got 22,799.

Chadema supporters heard the news in disbelief after learning that they had lost. But party Secretary General Dr Wilbroad Slaa asked them to accept the defeat, saying that there was no foul play and ballot papers were tightly guarded during the process.

That was great maturity on Chadema’s part. It was a victory for democracy. One thing is clear, though, that Chadema has shown itself to be a party to reckon with. And Mzee CCM has shown itself just that – Mzee!

Why? Because during the campaigns Mzee CCM was showing a pitiful signs of battle fatigue. Sending wazee who did not have anything tangible to tell the wananchi. They responded by booing and heckling the CCM politicians. That, clearly, is the shape of things to come and much more.

Come 2010, CCM must have developed a very thick political skin to withstand attacking salvos from the opposition.

I mean, how did the Minister of Energy and Minerals, Bill Ngeleja think the wananchi would respond when he told them that if they elected CCM in Busanda, there will get power all round? (Danganya toto). Where was the party over the last 45 years for heaven’s sake!

Standing before the wananchi and telling them that there might be some thieving thugs in the party, but it doesn’t mean that the entire party is stinking, simply is a silly joke. Especially when there is not even evidence of the minutest efforts to cleanse it.

Though it has been trying hard to look impartial, the ruling establishment has always backed the CMM. That was bad enough. But when the CCM started fielding paid thugs in the name of ‘Green Guards’ some of us started to worry.

The ploy could have intimidated the people of Busanda, but I am not sure if the urban population will take that kind of bullying sitting down. And the ruling party has taken advantage of the lack of information which is being used by the political establishment to spread a bunch of half truths.

In thumbing their noses at the media, CCM officials told them that they can write, broadcast all they want, but their news will never reach Busanda. Why? Busanda does not have electricity so the voters will not be swayed by TV or radio and the newspapers can hardly reach the constituency.

A cheap shot, of course. So the absence of electricity is deliberate, eh? To keep the people in the dark, both physically and mentally. But can they keep the urban populations in the dark too?